Acetaminophen: Rectal or Oral Administration?

Fever control in children and adults often starts with acetaminophen. Which route of administration, rectal or oral, is more effective? Investigators conducted a meta-analysis of data from four randomized clinical trials (3 involved 150 children, and 1 involved 83 adults) that compared oral and rectal administration of acetaminophen.

The efficacy of oral and rectal administration did not differ for each temperature endpoint that was assessed: decline in temperature at 1 and 3 hours after treatment, average time to temperature reduction of 1°C, and maximum decline in temperature (2 studies). Analgesic efficacy could not be compared because only one study met inclusion criteria for assessment of analgesia.